Parqueo Don Alberto | Informal Campsite

Guatemala

Details

Verified:
3 months ago
Altitude:
2513.0 masl
Website:
None
Contributor:
Song of the Road

Amenities

Electricity:
No
Wifi:
No
Kitchen:
No
Restaurant:
No
Showers:
No
Water:
Non-Potable
Toilets:
Pit Toilets
Big Rig Friendly:
Yes
Tent Friendly:
Yes
Pet Friendly:
Yes

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Description

A small parking lot at the trail head of Santa Maria vulcano. They allowed us to spend the night. Q75/vehicle to spend the night.

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Latest Check-Ins

75 Q to spend the night.
We ended up staying at the other parqueo just a few houses down the road at Don Chepe for only 20 Q. Dogs barked all night in the entire neighborhood, not the most restful night but safe spot.
No services there though.
We hiked the santiaguito mirador, took 3 hours including 1 hour at the top.
Make sure to go early, we left at 6:40 AM and had a good view but it was very cloudy after 8:30 AM at the top.

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Parking lot with surprisingly clean pit toilet with no smell. Lady asked for 150Q for a night and half day! But in the end was happy with 75Q. So, be prepared for it😆 Next to the toilet is something like bonfire but actually is a place for rubbish burning. She came at 8pm with boxes and bags full of rubbish and made a fire. It's a special bonus for overpriced parking lot with no facilities to have a dinner with smell of rubbish fire.

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Perfect location to camp before hiking Santa Maria volcano or Santiaguito mirador. We paid 75Q after negotiation (100Q at the beginning), that a little bit expensive for a parking. Night was quiet just some dogs had barked.

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Geronimo and his family are super friendly and helpful, the parking lot in the yard is simple, but safe and quiet, we paid 100Q for 2 nights, with the famous drawing of Geronimo, see photos, the way to the Mirador was simple, there are several Dogs in the yard, but those were friendly to our dog, highly recommended, a highlight,

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Just a basic parking lot with a pit toilet and some burned trash around. Even Q75 seems high.

Starlink works. Friendly family. No issues.

The last section of the road is unpaved and in bad shape. Lots of trash all over.

There is another parking lot further down that probably is less expensive.

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Arrived around 5:30/6 right before Catarino closed the gate. He wanted to charge us 100 but when we mentioned we read the price was 75 for two he was okay with that. Friendly neighbors. they locked the gate every evening but the pedestrian door stayed unlocked

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Geronimo was super kind and drew us a map for the hike to the mirador of Volcan Santiaguito. I highly recommend this hike. As my 10 year old said, “this is like hiking along a Zen Garden!” Varied plant life, peakaboo views of agriculture, and long vistas. The parqueadero was a great place to start and camp. Pit toilet, quiet night. We started hiking at 5:30 am, so don’t know what time it gets loud here, but the Chiba buses could be heard up the hills.

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We now paid 75Q. Very calm, pit toilet, bucket cold shower. Just 2 min walk from the Santa Maria trailhead, which is a great hike btw!

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Just to update. 75 Q now. Good spot to hike early to Santiaguito's mirador. Nice trip, 3h go and back. The volcano erupts every 20 mn.

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A parked spot good to stay if you want to do the hike to Volcano Santa Maria! We had two cute dogs that accompanied us! We paid 50Q for the night and day!

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There are two parking lots in this area. First on the right hand side - just dusty fenced lot, probably also bus stop, we were quoted 25+25q for day and night for the car alone (us on the volcano), we talked to and old guy in leather jacket. Next parking is couple hundred meters up on the left side in a green gate, looks like a back yard. We were told 40q total. We saw, talked and payed only to a nice young woman. It is not very level there, but we didn't plan to sleep there, she also offered to open a toilet for us. We hiked the volcano overnight and everything was ok. It's just a village, didn't look dodgy, people were friendly and talking to us while we passed their corn fields.

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Just a dirt parking spot behind a gate. When we get there we ask for sleeping and they say 40 qz. We when for the hike and when back we felt not to sleep here. they offer again we can sleep there for 50qz ? We pay 40 and left.
We ask for a guide to the volcano Maria, they ask 200qz we offer 150 they did not accept we walk up alone. Probably not to sketchy place but we have to run around a bit before we found someone to talk to and on the way back we find someone, looks drunk or with some mental problem asking for money just in front of the gate . Looks like a campesinos neighbourhood.

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we arrived late at night and hiked the next day and the family asked for $80 after we agreed on $50. you could park on the street and be just as safe in this area in my opinion.

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This is a nice safe spot to camp and then park your car while climbing the volcano. Not sure while other reviewers say it's dodgy. The town is definitely poor but it didn't feel unsafe at all. The family who used to live in the house in the gates compound moved out - the grandmother recently passed away - so we had a basic cement room to hang out and cook in since it was raining. Not the most beautiful spot to camp but it's safe and the family who owns it is very friendly. Recommend leaving for the hike by 4-5am to beat the mid day storms. Clear weather usually in the morning. If you don't have a GPS, the trail is marked in MAPS.ME. There are lots of sidetracks forking from the main trail so having maps.me or a GPS makes route finding much easier. I added a photo of the topo map for reference.

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Parking in the yard of a family home. They asked for 30Q for the day or 50Q if spending the night.

Pit toilet. No shower but there is a large washing basin and pots to do an authentic rural Guatemalan shower.

Don't understand previous comments about dodgy area and car park. This is just a friendly residential area adjacent to the farming on the lower volcano slopes.

Great hike and amazing views. See 'Tourist Attraction' marker for more info.

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Perfect parking to hike the vulcano. Could use the clean toilet and cold shower in a room. Very friendly people.
Asked for 50, paied 40.
Vulcano is 1200m up, took us 3.5h to go up, 2h to go down.
The hike is for free and we had no guide. There are 2 tricky points, but they can explane you or use OSM.

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This is not a campsite. It is a car park in a dodgey area. We drove to it and kept driving. Do not recommend.

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Super welcoming family, stayed here and hiked Santa Maria from the doorstep. This is actually a family home that offers parking, look for the big double green gate on the left just before the road runs out. 50Q per night.

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A parking lot at the trail head of volcan santa maria. They allowed us to spend the night. 50Q total. You might be able to arrange bathrooms and showers here, we jut didn't try.

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